Spurs-Raptors Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLDPosted Dec 09 2013 6:47PM

The Toronto Raptors have started looking ahead, leaving their roster in disarray for the immediate future.

As they wait for their new acquisitions to arrive following Monday's seven-player trade, the Raptors may be short-handed when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.

Though they only played eight against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Raptors (7-12) snapped their five-game losing streak with a 106-94 road victory Sunday to spoil Kobe Bryant's return.

Before the contest, Toronto reached an agreement to send Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy to Sacramento in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, John Salmons and Chuck Hayes. The trade was officially finalized on Monday.

"We thank Rudy, Aaron and Quincy for their time here. They were great professionals and strong community ambassadors of the Raptors," general manager Masai Ujiri said. "The trade gives us good flexibility and more certainty as we plan for our future."

After being traded from Memphis to Toronto last season, Gay - averaging 19.4 points but shooting a career-worst 38.8 percent - is the centerpiece of this deal as well.

He's making $17.8 million this season and holds a $19.3 million player option for the 2014-15 season.

By moving Gay, Toronto gains future financial flexibility. Of the four players going to Toronto, only Hayes has a deal that extends beyond this season.

With Gay shipped out, DeMar DeRozan - scoring a team-high 21.6 per game - becomes the only Raptor averaging more than 15 points. DeRozan has scored 25.0 per game over his last 10 overall, and put up 29 in each of his last two at home against the Spurs (15-4).

"It ain't the first time for me," DeRozan said of the deal. "A lot of my friends have been traded and moved on. It just gets to a point where you understand it and you know what's going on."

The acquisition of Vasquez, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 assists, gives the Raptors a solid option behind starting point guard Kyle Lowry (14.8 ppg), while Patterson and Hayes could get an opportunity in the frontcourt.

Amir Johnson made the most of his first start in four games with a career-high 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds in Sunday's win. He's made 30 of 42 shots while averaging 23.3 points and 9.0 boards in his last three games.

Lowry had 23 points and eight assists and DeRozan scored 26 for the Raptors, who missed 22 of 26 from 3-point range but ended a 10-game road losing streak to the Lakers.

Now they'll try to take advantage of a San Antonio team that has allowed 107.7 points and a 41.3 3-point percentage in its last three games.

The Spurs have been tough defensively on the road, giving up an average of 91.2 points and holding opponents to 33.9 percent from beyond the arc while winning seven of nine. San Antonio, however, has lost three of five overall following a 13-1 start.

Kawhi Leonard matched a season high with 18 points and Manu Ginobili added 16 Saturday against visiting Indiana, but Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were limited to a combined 23 in the 111-100 loss.

"We give a lot of credit to Indiana," Parker said. "They just played better than us."

Parker and Duncan teamed for 58 points in a 111-106 double-overtime victory in the most recent meeting in Toronto on Nov. 25, 2012. Parker has totaled 66 points and 19 assists in his last two visits to the Air Canada Centre.

San Antonio has won five straight meetings overall.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Ginobili leads Spurs past Raptors, 116-103

By IAN HARRISONPosted Dec 10 2013 10:48PM

TORONTO (AP) Tony Parker praised "the usual guys" on San Antonio's bench for their role in beating the Toronto Raptors, then singled out Australian big man Aron Baynes for special attention.

Baynes scored a career-high 14 points, Manu Ginobili had 16 and the Spurs beat the Raptors 116-103 on Tuesday night.

Jeff Ayers made the first start of his Spurs career in place of injured center Tiago Splitter, but it was Baynes whose contribution proved most vital to San Antonio's sixth straight victory against Toronto.

"Tiago is a big part of what we do so somebody has to step up," Parker said. "Right now, Baynesie is doing good."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was just as pleased with Baynes' performance.

"Baynes did a great job," Popovich said. "He hasn't played that much but he went down to the D-League and played a few games to stay in shape, kept himself ready and it showed tonight. He came in and did a really good job for us."

Baynes had scored just 17 points on the season coming into Tuesday's game, but blew past that mark by shooting 7 for 9 from the field and matching his season high with six rebounds.

"Baynesie did a great job, both offensively and defensively," said Manu Ginobili, who had 16 points. "We need it."

Undrafted out of Washington State, Baynes played professionally in Lithuania and Greece before joining San Antonio. He may not boast a star's resume, but he's impressed his teammates nonetheless.

"We see him in practice all the time so we know we have somebody who can play," Parker said. "He played international basketball, he's been to an Olympics. He's got some experience."

Splitter missed his second straight game with a sore left calf, and did not join the team for a two-game trip to Toronto and Milwaukee.

Tim Duncan scored 14 points as the Spurs overcame a 14-point first quarter deficit, improving to 26-9 all-time against Toronto.

San Antonio has won three of six since its 11-game winning streak was halted with a loss at Oklahoma City on Nov. 27.

Danny Green had 14 points for the Spurs, while Marco Belinelli had 12 and Patty Mills 11.

Ginobili had nine assists for the Spurs, who are 10-1 this season when he has at least five.

"He played a great game," Popovich said. "He's really starting to look like Manu, which is great for us, obviously."

DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points and Amir Johnson had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Terrence Ross scored 14 points in his first start of the season, Jonas Valanciunas also had 14 and Kyle Lowry had 11.

"I'm going to chalk this one up to travel," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey, whose team returned from Los Angeles on an overnight flight Sunday, landing in Toronto at 5:30 AM Monday. "We ran out of gas."

Toronto, which traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to Sacramento on Monday, was still awaiting the arrival of forwards Chuck Hayes and Patrick Patterson and guards John Salmons and Greivis Vasquez in return.

Hayes, Patterson and Salmons were due to arrive late Tuesday night while Vasquez, who had to make a detour to New York City for a work visa, was not expected until Wednesday afternoon.

Raptors forward Tyler Hansbrough (left shoulder) missed his second straight game Tuesday, leaving Toronto with just 10 players against the Spurs.

Splitter's absence proved to be an immediate problem for San Antonio's defense. Valanciunas and Johnson each scored 10 points in the first and combined for eight rebounds as Toronto led 36-24 after one quarter. It was the most first-quarter points allowed by the Spurs this season.

San Antonio closed the gap by opening the second quarter with a 13-4 run, cutting the deficit to one. Parker scored eight points in the second and Baynes had seven as the Spurs led 59-53 at halftime.

Duncan scored nine points in the third as San Antonio stretched its lead, taking an 89-74 edge into the fourth.

NOTES: Casey said Hansbrough should be ready to return Friday when Toronto hosts Philadelphia. ... Toronto's last win over San Antonio was a 91-86 home victory on Jan. 3, 2010.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Spurs 116, Raptors 103

THE FACT: The Spurs have now won six straight meetings with the Raptors dating back to the 2010.

THE LEAD: Seven different members of the San Antonio Spurs (16-4) scored in double figures as they handed the Toronto Raptors (7-13) a 116-103 defeat Tuesday night. Manu Ginobili scored a team-high 16 points and had a game-high nine assist, Tony Parker added 16 and six assists, while Tim Duncan and Danny Green pitched in with 14.

DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson led the Raptors with 19 apiece, but the rest of the team failed to provide them with any support.

Toronto opened the game hot, shooting 62 percent in the opening frame. By the time the second rolled around, the Spurs flipped the script, going on a 13-2 run and eventually dropping 35 points in the quarter.

The third was more of the same as San Antonio's bench took over. The Spurs bench outscored the Raptors' 33-24 in the second half.

QUOTABLE: "We had a lot of guys contribute with 30 assists and that's always fantastic when you get the ball moving. The point where you get 30 assists, you know people are playing the right way."-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on his team's play.

THE STAT: The Raptors scored 36 points on 62 percent shooting in the first 12 minutes of the game and then were held to 38 points on 37 percent shooting in the next 24 minutes before both bench teams cleared their benches for the fourth.

THE STAT II: The Spurs had 30 assists on 82 made baskets and were 13-23 from beyond the 3-point line.

TURNING POINT: The Spurs began the second quarter on a 13-2 run to cut the Raptor lead to one, 38-37. Three straight buckets by DeRozan broke up the run, but the Spurs weathered the storm, finishing the half 23-15, opening up a 59-53 lead. That is the closest the Raptors would get the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "[Aron] Baynes did a great job. He hasn't played that much but he went down to the D-League and played a few games to stay in shape, kept himself ready and it showed tonight. He came in and did a really good job for us."-- Popovich

QUOTABLE III: "Manu looks healthy, he looks like he has fresh legs with the rest of a whole summer. He is looking good so far and as long as he is healthy it is great for us." -- Spurs guardParker on his teammate Ginobili.

HOT: Second year man Aron Baynes had a career night, scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds. Defensively he was also a terror, slowing Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas.

NOT:Terrence Ross got his first start of the season for the Raptors and the results were underwhelming. Ross made just four of his 13 attempts from the floor and committed a game-high five turnovers.

NOT: With Rudy Gay now playing in Sacramento and the rest of the players Toronto acquired in the deal not arriving in town until Wednesday, a great deal of their offensive burden fell on DeRozan Tuesday night and he struggled. DeRozan shot 6-16 and, despite having a team-high seven assists, he was unable to lift his club when they leaned on him.

NOTABLE: Raptors guard Ross got his third career start... DeRozan recorded 5 assists for the second straight game and third time this season. He had five or more assists 12 times last year and just five times in first three seasons... Spurs center Tiago Splitter did not make the trip due to a nagging calf injury. Jeff Ayers started in his place...